Carly Fiorina: How can you tell NH Democrats are desperate?

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By CARLY FIORINA
How can you tell New Hampshire Democrats are getting desperate? You can tell by their obnoxious rhetoric, which has become so ridiculous it further cheapens the already sad state of political discourse in America.

Congressional incumbents Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Annie McLane Kuster (NH-02), both Democrats, have accused their opponents of being soft on domestic violence. These attacks are absurd and both Shea-Porter and Kuster owe their opponents — Frank Guinta and Marilinda Garcia — and the voters an apology.

Why have Shea-Porter and Kuster sunk so low? Well, as stated above, they are falling behind and Granite State Republicans are gaining traction as we head into the final weeks of the General Election. They need an issue to divide voters and instill fear to save their campaigns. Why not exploit the horrific Ray Rice incident for political purposes, right? That’s what any desperate and cynical politician would do. We couldn’t possibly expect anything less from Shea-Porter and Kuster.

Shea-Porter’s attack on Guinta is a joke. While serving in Congress, Guinta voted to pass H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. The language in that measure was nearly identical to the language in the original Violence Against Women Act signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Kuster’s attack on Garcia is equally specious. In a new attack ad, she claims Garcia opposed the Violence Against Women Act. Not true. In fact, Garcia strongly supports the protections established by the Violence Against Women Act; again the very law signed by Bill Clinton.

Shea-Porter’s and Kusters’ attacks amount to an accusation that Bill Clinton himself is weak on domestic violence. Like I said, absurd.

What makes their attacks even more cynical is the fact that they are clearly taking their cues from Democratic National Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Nancy Pelosi. Last month Schultz shamefully accused Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker of giving women “the back of his hand” and attacked the Tea Party saying, “they are grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back.” Pelosi, meanwhile, recently said “civilization as we know it today would be in jeopardy if Republicans win the Senate” and equated Republican policies to Ray Rice.

Such rhetoric might seem a clever ploy to Wasserman Schultz, Pelosi, Shea-Porter and Kuster, but it sickens the rest of America.

What’s really going on here? The Democrats’ failed agenda has been exposed. They have no record to run on. Their only option left is to rip the country apart in hopes of getting the larger piece. They’ve found this strategy to be a brick wall, as well; the facts are just too depressing for voters to overlook.

Women have been hit hard by the Obama economy. Roughly 227,000 women joined the ranks of the unemployed in July alone, adding to the almost 56 million American women out of the workforce. Then there’s Obamacare. Over 22,000 Granite Staters were issued cancellation noticed from their insurers as a result of this policy disaster, the only “achievement” the Democrats can point to.

The voters of New Hampshire deserve better from their elected officials. Rubberstamping a failed Obama agenda isn’t leadership, nor is attempting to cover it up with divisive attacks and the politics of fear. Changing the status quo for the better starts with replacing Shaheen, Shea-Porter, and Kuster in November.

(Carly Fiorina is the founder of the Unlocking Potential Project and the former CEO of Hewlett Packard. She ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate from California in 2010.)